Automatic means for controlling the flow of liquid into a tank



Jan, 13. 1925.- 1,522,982

G. STRANDT I AUTOMATIC MEA-NS FORCONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQID INTO A TANK Filed Feb. 24, 1920 Patented Jan. 13, 1925,

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GUSTAV STRANDT, OF MILWUKEE, WISCONSIN, SSIGNOR T0 MILWAUKEE DAIRY SUIPLY MANUFACTUING C0., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A\ CORPORATIDN 0F WISCONSIN. Y

AUTOMATIC MEANS ron coNTRoLLING THE rnow or LIQUID INT0 n TANK.

Application medrebruary 24, 192e. seran No'. 369,562.

To LZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, 'GUs'rnv STRAND'1, a citizen ofthe United States, resldmg at M11- waukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of llVisconsin, have invented new land useful Improvements 1n Automatlc Means for Contro-lling the Flow of Liquid into a Tank, of

. mande of the machine.

More particularly, the invention relates to an automatic valve and associated parts for controlling the height of the milk ma receiving tank, or distrfibutor from which bottles are filled.

A very important object is to provide means for delivering milk to the tank un-4 derneath the oat and with substantially uniform pressure in all directions thru an ezt(- panding nozzle or passage formed by a pair of horizontally disposed disks between the outer margins of which the milk is delivered at reduced'velocity and pressure.

Objects of this m'vention are to provide a oat operated.A Valve which w1ll minunlze splashing and prevent frothing or foammg of the milk when such valve is open; prevent disturbance of the flow of the milk from the tank to the bottles; insure perfect agitation of the .contents of the tank by cansino' the milk to enter beneath the surface 0I the milk in the tank and prevent chattering.

Further objects are to provide a float operated valve which is verticall. adjustable independently of any vertical a justment of the tank; may be readily removed for cleaning; allowing sanitary condition to -be easlly maintained; is supported Independently 0fthe tank or the tank support; andV which consists of a minimum number of parts.

In the drawings f Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View thru the tank, showing the float in lowered position. .j

Figure 2 is a similar View, showmg'the float in raised position.

, Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the fioat and the valve associated therewith, in the position shown in Fig. 1.4

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, showing the position of the valve and float, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig ure, 3.

Figure 6 is a seetionon line 6-6 of Figj y ure 4. Figure 7 is a section thru the adjustable coupling means between the supply pipe and the downwardly extending tube, or'continlv ation of such supply pipe.

This invention relates to a milk bottling machine of the type'shown and described in apatent issued to me on March 7th, 1916,

.and numbered 1174453, and particularly relates to an improved means for controlling the low of milk into the tank from which the milk is subsequently drawn v4to till the bottles. The tank 1 is rotatably carried by a shaft 2, the weight of the tank being directly borne by Va ball bearingbetween the shaft 2 and a member 4 secured to the lower portion of the tank, and centrally thereof). In order to more securely hold thetank in rotative relation to the 'shaft 2, a tubular downwardly extending bearing member 5,y

carried by the tank, extends between the shaft 2 and a -sleeve 6, such member 5 being slidably splined to the member 6, as indicated at 7. An outer housing 8, carriediby the tank, is arranged to slide upon the outside of the member 6. The -verticaladjustment of the tank is secured by causing the lower threaded portion 9 of the shaft 2 to ibe engaged by the threads of a nut 10 which forms a hub of a gear wheel 11. It will therefore bcv ,se'en that the tank is adaptedr lfor rotary motion upon its vertical axis,'such motion being imparted thereto by means of v the member 6 andthe spline connection 7, and is also adapted for vertical adjustment by means of a nut 10 and the screw 9. The

. adjustment of this tank in a vertical direction is desirable to accommodate bottles of different heights, and the rotary motion is desirable so that the tank may cooperate with the moving bottles, as is fully described in the patent above referred to.

The lower portion of the tank is provided with a seriesV of openings 12, provided in `a circle adjacent the lower outer'edge of the bottom, such openings being adapted F'gure 3 shows the tube or pipe 16 provided with an upper shoulder or flange 18,.-

and a smooth, machined, cylindrical porl tion 19, extending downwardly below such flange to the `extreme lower end of the tube. The cap 17 projects a slight'distance outwardly from the cylindrical" portion 19 when the cap is screwed in place, and there- 20` by forms a bottom shoulder or collar. Slidably mounted upon this cylindrical portion 19 is a sleeve 2O which extends upwardly thrua float 21, and is secured tothe under side of the float and integrally connected with the upper side thereof so as to form air-tight joints therewith. Below the float 21 anaperture in the form of -a gap or an open annular space 22 is formed` in the sleeve 20, as more clearly shown in Figure 5, such opening being adapted to register with a plurality of apertures 23 formed in the cylindrical portion 19 of the tube 16 when the ioat and sleeve are in the lower position.l Annular members 24 and 25 are formed upon the sleeve 20 immediately above and below the annular opening 22, 1 the upper member 24 contacting with t-he lower'portion-of the float' 21. Webs 26`join these members 24 and 25 at intervals.

Figure 3 shows the apertures in the tube and the sleeve in registering position, so that the` delivery of milk to the tank 1 is permitted'. Figure 4 showsthe location of aperture 22 with respect to the apertures 23 I5 when the float is in the' raised position. c

By the arrangement of the annular members 24 and 25 immediately above andbelow the annular aperture 22,'the milk passing outwardly thru thel valve is caused to 5" pass between such annularv members 24 and 25, and is directed horizontally outwardly so as not to interfere with the milk passing' thru A'the' openings 12. Another function performed by this arrangement of members .55 24 and 25 and'aperture 22 is that theA velocity of the milk flowing outwardly between these members 24 and 25 is gradualf ly lessened by such members, for the reason that thev cross section of the flowing )D 'stream lof milk is a cylinder of constantly increasing radius, as the outer yedge of these annular members is approached, and as the quantity ofmilk passlnglany given cross section is' for eacli instant uniform, 'it 5 therefore follows that as the cross section increases, tlie velocityl must necessarily decrease.

It will therefore be seenthat means have been provided, whereby the discharging stream of milk passing outwardlyfrom the valve has itsvelocity controlled and gradually lessened as it passes thru the structure of the valve and associated parts, and is discharged .into the surrounding milkat a low and substantially uniform velocity in all directions. v

y Figure tween the pipe 15 and the tube or pipe 16, which forms a continuation thereof, such joint comprising a threaded engagement 27 between the upper portion of the tube 16 and a nut 28 which `surrounds the pipe 15.

7 shows the union or joint be-V Between the upper portion ofthe pipe or ,tube 16V and the nut, a rubber gasket 29 1s provided, which takes the form of an annular ring, and is adapted to be compressedwhen the nut 28` and the tube 16,

are turned relatively toeach other by means of the handles' 30. When this rubber gasket 29 is compressed it projects inwardly into any one of a plurality of grooves 31. formed around the tube 15` at spaced intervals. By this means-itA is possible to both completely and readily remove the tube 16, or adjust its vertical position, thereby adjusting the position of the automatic valve. It will be noted thatwhen the tube 16 is removed the bottom portion or cap 17 may also be removed, thereby allowing ready` cleaning of the tube 16.

It will thus he seen that an independent support and adjustment has been provided icc for the automatic valve, which is distinct and separate from the. adjustmentv of the tank, so that either the relative position of105 the tank and automatic -valve may be changed,` or else both the tank and lthe valve may be moved to such a position that the relative position of the two is the same .while their labsolute adjust-ment changes. r

`shape and position of the float'is such that it co-operates in the smooth discharge of the milk, and is also not canted or otherwise disadvantageously affected bythe dis-A charging milk.

I claim:

1. An automatic valve,for controlling the position of said sleeve. q

2. An automatic valve, for controlling the height of a liquid, comprising a tube having an aperture formed therein, an apertured sleeve arranged to slide upon said tube and open or close said aperture in the tube, byv

controlling the registering of aperture in said sleeve with the aperture in said tube, a float'carried by said sleeve, and a pair of annular members carried by and surrounding said sleeve and positioned one above and one below the aperture in said sleeve.

3. An automatic valve, for controlling the height of a liquid, comprising a tube having an aperture therein, anA apertured sleeve arranged to slide upon said tube and control the iiow ofliquid from said tube by controllingthe registering of the apertures in said tube and sleeve,`a pair of annular members carried' by said sleeve so that the aperture in the sleeve is positioned between said annular members, whereby the liquid is caused to flow radially outwardly between said annular members with a substantially uniform velocity in all directionsas it leaves said` annular members, and an annular ioat carried by said sleeve and positioned immediately above the upper annular member. 4. An automatic valve, for controlling the height of a liquid by controlling its flow through a supply pipe, comprising a` tube having apertures therein,.means for removably and supportingly securing said tube to the supply pipe in apendent position, re-

. movable means for temporarily closing the lower en d of said tube, a sleeve. arranged to slide upon said tube to control the amount of opening of said apertures, `and a lioat for foperating said sleeve.

5. An automatic valve, for controlling the height of a. liquid by controlling its iiow.

through a supply pipe, comprising a tube having apertures therein, means for removably and adjustably supporting said tube from said supply pipe in a pendent position, a sleeve arranged to slide upon said tube and control the amount of opening of said apertures, and a float for controlling the motion of said sleeve.

6. The combination with a tank `of a vertically disposed supply pipe thereinv annularly portedand provided with an annular slide valve, a float encircling the pipe and operatively connected with the valveto open the ported portion of the pipe below the float, and a set of spaced flow controlling horizontally disposed annular plates between which liquid may flow in all directions uniforml and with diminishing pressure and 7. An automatic valve for controlling the flow of a liquid from a supply pipe into a tank, comprising a tube closed at its outer end and having apertures therein, means for removably and adjustably supporting said tube in a pendant position solely from said i sleeve'adapted to slide upon said tube andI having a series' of erforations therein adapted to register with the apertures in lsaid tube, and a float for controlling the Vmotion of said sleeve,.said float being positioned immediately above the apertures in s aidsleeve.

l, In testimony whereof I ax my signature in thepresence of two 'Witness/es.v

l, GUSTAV STRAND/T.

Witnesses: I

A. J. McKERmAN, V.A C. Warm.; 

